How to Avoid a Disastrous DIY Home Projects

Did you know that the term DIY also stands for destroying it yourself?

Truth is, the instructional videos or articles you follow are not foolproof. Not all DIY home projects have a happy ending. Some lead to a disaster that could be more expensive to fix. This is disheartening because you envisioned something perfect before you worked on it.

Planning and building a home is a daunting task if you have no building experience. To avoid accidents or mishaps, get help from skilled home design professionals. Unfortunately, a lot of homeowners are still confused about what designers can do for them. Their uncertainty prevents them from seeking help.

You shouldn’t feel this way!

A Closer Look at What Home Designers Offer

Most architects, interior designers, and decorators offer three kinds of services. You can book them for a design consultation, home planning, or for their full design services. Each kind of service is different from the other. It aims to help you through every stage of the building process.

Let’s begin with the basics: booking a design consultation. This is when you’ll meet your chosen designer to discuss the project’s goals, pinpoint your needs as a homeowner, and to determine your style. This is the time to share your vision of the projects as well as the problems that hinder your plans. The designer, in return, will make suggestions and provide the best possible solutions.

A design consultation with a professional designer only helps start the project right. You will still finish the job yourself. If you want to speed things up and lead your project to a better direction, you can continue working with them. After all, these initial consultations are the foundation of a full design service.

The next level would be the design planning stage. Here, your designer will sew everything together to create a design that’s within your budget. He or she must come up with an implementation plan for you to follow.

The last and maximum service that you can get is the full design services. Here, the designer will work with you from planning to implementation. Expect them to give a complete turnkey solution and be hands-on with the project. You can let them handle all the work. All you need to do is monitor the pace and direction of the project.

A full design service ensures quality work and quick turnaround time for your project, whether it’s a specific room or full-blown renovation. This is ideal for busy people who don’t have time to run around and look for stuff that they can use to decorate their homes.

As we all know, convenience has a price tag. But if you’re paying for your project to run smooth, in time, and within your budget, then this is the way to go.

Why Homeowners Shouldn’t Fear the “Full Design Services”

The full service aims to take the stress off your shoulders from concept to completion. A designer can develop a working plan with cues from your vision and your style. He/she will come up with a complete set of drawings, with furniture specifications, lighting plans, and the millwork designs.

You can leave the tendering on the hands of the designer too. He/she will be in charge of finding qualified and dependable tradespeople. Designers usually bring in the best people whom they’ve worked with before. You’ll get peace of mind, knowing that everyone in your team has established a working rapport.

With full design services, you also make your designer the project manager. He or she will supervise everything, including sourcing, ordering and inspecting of building materials; scheduling; overseeing installation, and dealing with the setbacks that might occur. They’ll make sure that your money is well spent.

Getting the Best Value for Your Money

It’s nice to have someone who can micromanage your home project when your hands are full. But, don’t be complacent or else you’ll get abused.

Schedule regular meetings with your designer. Ask for project status updates. If you have time, walk with him/her while he/she’s reviewing the work of the tradies. If you’re paying them right, then you have the right to ask for high-quality work. Ensure that everything falls into plan, budget, and schedule.

Paying Your Designer

This is the concern of most homeowners and we’re here to shed some light on how design professionals get paid.

Designers’ base their compensation on their level of education, experience, and expertise. Some quantify their fees based on the number of hours they spent to complete your work. Some work on a retainer basis. They’ll send you monthly invoices for their design fees over the course of a few months or a year. Other designers prefer to work on a fixed-price basis. They determine the fee by the estimated amount of work, by square footage, or by a percentage of the project’s total budget.

The fees of designers also vary on different countries and regions. It’s best to seek help and advice from local designers. Work with the ones who know the local building codes in your area so well so you’ll get fast council approvals. They can also help you get deals on furniture and construction supply, which may reduce construction costs.

Let’s Make the Process Easier

With Superdraft, you will never look for the designer on your own. We have a skilled support team who will link you to the architect, draftsman, or design professional who specialises in your project type. Your Superdraft designer will meet you onsite to conduct the design consultation. He or she will provide you with smart and professional design advice and a FREE, non-obligatory quote.